Yampa Valley Community Foundation

What it reported doing in 2025

1. Through our annual grant cycle, $713,960 was granted out to 87 nonprofits.2. Over $646,650 in scholarships were granted to 131 students attending 72 universities, colleges and vocational trade schools. This includes over $192,000 for students with financial need as determined by fafsa.3. Perhaps the single most impactful accomplishment in the foundations history was its successful effort to save caseys pond in 2024. The 138-bed facility provides critical independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care to the yampa valley community. Within just three months of the facility being placed into receivership, more than $30 million was raised from 421 donors. Today, caseys pond is operating at full capacity with a healthy wait list and received $700,000 in grants from the yampa valley community foundation in 2025, underscoring the foundations ongoing commitment to ensuring the facility remains financially viable and a sustainable community asset.4. In march 2025, the foundation issued its first impact investment loan from the long-term investment portfolio (ltip) and completed four additional impact loans over the remainder of the year. Impact investments may comprise up to 5% of the ltips total balance. By authorizing loans from the investment portfolio, the foundation is able to deploy capital for direct social impact in the community while continuing to generate modest financial returns.5. In august 2025, the yampa valley community foundation was designated by the state of Colorado as a community contribution project within the northwest Colorado enterprise zone. Annual donations of $250 or more to the yvcf general operating fund and designated for economic development initiatives may qualify for the Colorado enterprise zone tax credit. As it is quite rare for community foundations to be approved for the ez tax credit for donations to general operating, this designation demonstrates that yvcfs work is understood to play a direct and critical role in tackling current challenges faced by the communities of northwest Colorado.6. In response to the elk, lee, and crosho wildfires in northwest Colorado, the yampa valley community foundation activated the yampa valley disaster recovery fund, along with funds specifically designated for elk & lee recovery and crosho recovery. In 2025, donations to these three funds exceeded $278,000, with more than $175,000 granted to businesses and individuals directly impacted by the fires. The foundation anticipates additional grant requests in spring 2026 as expected erosion from rainfall in the spring is likely to cause erosion which will impact agricultural ditches, pastures, and culverts.7. Yampa valley community foundation was instrumental in leadership on convening, visioning and fundraising of a new mental health program called the hope initiative, including establishment of the hope initiative fund to fundraise for the initial two-year pilot of this program. This project will be launched in routt county under the health partnership, and aims to fill a major gap in our existing mental health resources, providing a community-wide peer support system on a 24/7 warm line as a front-door single-entry point for community members to be connected to support and resources, referrals, mental health and sud treatment, and crisis prevention and response teams.8. The foundations' passport club, through our partnership with the steamboat ski & resort corporation, has generated over $10.4 million. These contributions have provided grants and scholarships into the community and supported the operations of the foundation for over 30 years.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 54.6%; rating input score 55
• Program expense ratio: 96.3%; rating input score 96
• Fundraising efficiency: $301.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 49.3%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.96; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 28.6% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 21.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 23.7% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings